International magazines

Grazia, launched in China in February 2009, celebrated its third anniversary with a record issue in terms of advertising sales: on the cover an exclusive feature on the three most famous Chinese top models, produced in New York during the fashion week.

This performance is confirmation of the success of the Grazia brand in China, where the magazine is the most widely sold international glossy magazine, with sales of 1,162,000 per issue and double-digit growth rate in Q4 2011 in all of the cities in the country, from Shanghai to Beijing, Guangzhou and Hangzhou.

Grazia in China, which is the result of a unique and increasingly appreciated editorial formula, both by readers and advertisers, provides a diversified communication platform that includes a web site www.grazia.com.cn, which already has 1.8 unique users, the launch in April of an iPad version, events across the country such as “Fashion Class” and successful editorial supplements, including Grazia Men.

“This is the dynamic that Grazia is contributing to Mondadori’s development strategy in China, a country where we expect to develop other new business opportunities soon,” ha declared Fabrizio Lo Cicero, chairman of the Chinese joint-venture between the SEEC Group and Mondadori.

The Mondadori Group also works with other local partners in the country for the publication of Casaviva and Science et Vie.

The “Grazia International Network” continues to grow and has now reached 20 editions around the world.
Following the announcement of an agreement with the publisher Media24 to launch before the end of the year Grazia South Africa, from March the magazine will also be available in Slovenia, published under a licensing agreement by Videotop Color Media, a company of the Color Press Group, one of the principal players in the sector in the country.

Unique in the publishing industry in terms of the rapidity of development and the quality of the offer, Grazia brings to four continents – Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania – the very best of made in Italy luxury, in a unique and innovative formula that has allowed the title to become one of the international leaders in women’s fashion magazines.
Created in 2005, “Grazia International” is in fact one of the most dynamic magazine networks in the world and is already successfully published in Italy, France, Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Holland, China, Australia, India, the Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Indonesia, Thailand, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia.

And precisely because of its strong links with the world of fashion, the “Grazia International Network” will be present at the “Milano Fashion Week” with a “guerrilla” action that will have as its protagonists seven models who will “carry” the “Grazia International” logo at the most important fashion shows.
In addition, on Sunday 26 February, from 5pm to 6.30pm, and on Monday 27 February, from 4.30pm to 5.30pm, as part of “White Milano”, “Grazia International Network”, in collaboration with Campari, will invite the public at its stand to share in a fashion happy hour, during which they can flick through and enjoy all of the magazine’s international editions.

Mondadori has signed an agreement for the publication of Grazia South Africa with Media24, the leading publisher in Africa in the business and consumer magazines market.
This launch extends the reach of the Grazia International Network for the first time with an edition also in this continent.

John Relihan, chief executive of Media24 declared: “Grazia has become a global brand and we believe it can have the same level of success in South Africa as it has had in other countries. We are delighted to embark on this new adventure with a partner like Mondadori,” Relihan concluded. Liezl de Swardt, general manager of Media24’s Women’s Interest division, explained: “The first edition of Grazia was published in 1938 and since then the magazine has become one of the key brands in fashion, and a leader in the women’s weekly market at an international level”.

“Grazia South Africa will be the first on the African continent,” declared Zeno Pellizzari, head of Mondadori’s International Activities. “We are very proud to be working with Media24 and with this launch we are sure that we will have a decisive impact on the competitive scenario in South Africa, just as we’ve had in France, the UK, Germany, China, Russia and Holland,” Pellizzari concluded.

The weekly Grazia South Africa will be characterized by the usual ‘easy chic’ formula that distinguishes the Grazia brand around the world: fashion, news and celebrities, enhanced with international trends and local style and tendencies.

Media24
Media24, is Africa’s leading publishing group, with its principal activities in the south of the continent. It is the biggest magazine publisher and one of the most important players in the newspaper sector, as well as operating as a printer and distributor of magazines and digital content.

Mondadori has joined forces with Flipboard, the world’s first social magazine for the iPad, to make content from Grazia.it, Grazia.fr and Graziadaily.co.uk available on Flipboard. International fashion and style aficionados can access the three language versions of Grazia in Flipboard’s Content Guide, where the publications are featured this week.

Flipboard, named Apple App of the Year by Apple, allows readers to discover, browse and share digital content that has been optimised for iPad for an unparalleled reading experience. Additionally, they can to flip through news, photos, videos and friends’ updates on Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, LinkedIn, Tumblr, 500px, Flickr and Instagram.

From today the section featuring Flipboard’s recommended titles provides access to a range of digital content from the web sites of Grazia Italy, Grazia France and Grazia UK.

Mondadori is the first publishing group in Italy to work with Flipboard and Grazia the first digital women’s title in Italian to be present on the app.

“We are delighted to be working with Flipboard which will enable us to make Grazia.it accessible to users of the app that Time included among the 50 best inventions of 2010,” declared Vittorio Veltroni, general manager of Mondadori Digital. “Flipboard has recorded 4 million downloads across the world for the iPad, generating 600 million flips per month, a figure that is destined to rise. Grazia.it will then be available to an increasingly large audience, and audience that combines its passion for fashion with shopping, as well as socialising,” concluded Vittorio Veltroni.

“With Grazia Flipboard readers can access the content of one of the brands that is synonymous with fashion and style in Italy, France and the United Kingdom,” claimed Christina Mace-Turner, head of partner strategy at Flipboard. “For the first time, we are integrating content in three different languages, a first step in customizing the Flipboard experience for our readers around the world.” Mace-Turner, concluded.

To celebrate its third anniversary Grazia China organised a masked ball inspired by the Venice Carnival, a symbol of Italian excellence in the world.

Grazia is the first glossy news and style fortnightly in the country, with original content in Chinese and a dedicated editorial staff that in a short time has become an authentic publishing phenomenon. Published thanks to an agreement between the Mondadori Group and SEEC Media Group Ltd., the magazine’s great success is demonstrated by a circulation of 1,162,000 copies, an increase of 30% compared with 2010.

To celebrates the magazines success, “Il Ballo del Doge” by Antonia Sautter came to Shanghai for the first time, bringing artists of international standing, marvellous period costumes and haute couture creations – compositions with feathers, sequins, tulle, velvet and other precious fabrics – worn for the occasion by Chinese models and celebrities who paraded on Grazia’s pink carpet.
The guests included many of the leading players from the top international fashion and beauty brands and some of the most popular stars in China, including the actresses, Huo Si Yan and Dong Jie.

During the evening the guests enjoyed a special show that was divided in two parts: Casanova with the Mechanical Doll, based on the famous film by Federico Fellini “Casanova”, and a splendid Turandot, inspired by the Puccini opera, alongside the Leo Doge, a representation of the ancient ties between Venice and the East.

The event concluded with an extraordinary performance by the young Taiwanese singer and songwriter Fan Xiao Xuan, Asia’s most popular punk rock artist who has already made 21 albums and won more than 27 prizes.

Grazia China is online at: www.grazia.com.cn.

From this month Grazia is also present in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in Macedonia, published under licence by Color Press Group, the leading publisher of trade and consumer magazines in southeastern Europe. The company, which is based in Serbia, has a portfolio of over 84 titles, including international brands such as Hello, Joy, FHM, Economist and Intelligent Life.

The two new monthly editions of Grazia are aimed at readers interested in fashion and style, thanks to an innovative formula and an up-scale offer.

These two new launches, which take to 18 the total number of editions of the magazine published around the world, will reinforce the presence of the “Grazia International Network” in the Balkans, following the successes achieved in Bulgaria, Serbia and Croazia, the latter also published in partnership with Color Press.

“The continuing expansion of the Grazia International Network is, for us, further proof of the uniqueness and the appeal of the editorial concept of our brand which, in just six years, has become an international point of reference, even in a difficult economic context like the current one,” commented Zeno Pellizzari, head of Mondadori’s international activities.

“The collaboration with Mondadori is an excellent example of how an international brand like Grazia can be very successfully launched also in minor markets,” commented Robert Coban, CEO of the Color Press Group. “Just one year after our first agreement we have already published three editions and I am sure that our collaboration will not only continue, but will be reinforced in the coming years,” Coban concluded.

By 2012 Mondadori will launch five new international editions of Grazia.
The Grazia International Network (www.graziainternational.com), created in 2005, is a unique case in terms of the rapid development and quality in the offer, in the international magazine publishing industry.

There are currently 16 markets that have chosen Grazia whose unique and innovative formula has enable the magazine to become one of the leading international women’s fashion titles, alongside products from historic giants of magazine publishing such as Hearst and Condé Nast.
For the future, the Mondadori network has given itself even more ambitious objectives: to reach 30 international editions of Grazia by 2015.

“We are proud to have built in such a short time an international network linked to a brand with the quality and authority of Grazia, particularly in the context of a global scenario characterised by profound transformations for the publishing business,” declared Marina Berlusconi, chairman of the Mondadori Group. “This initiative confirms, once again, Mondadori’s vocation to grow in quality publishing,” concluded Marina Berlusconi.

“The most significant characteristic of our system is the high number of weeklies published in some of the most important markets for magazines, including Italy, France, Great Britain, Germany, Russia and Holland,” said Maurizio Costa, deputy chairman and chief executive of Mondadori. “This frequency of our relationship with readers is an extremely important element for the companies that invest in order to reach their public rapidly, with a significant impact on the success of their products in markets with high rates of growth,” concluded Costa.

Through Grazia Mondadori delivers around the world the best of made in Italy fashion and luxury goods, highlighting the excellence and quality of our business system.

In fact the network of Grazia editions generates an overall monthly circulation of more than 6.6 million copies around the world. The magazine is also published in China, Australia, India, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Indonesia, Thailand, Serbia, Croatia and Bulgaria.

GRAZIA GLOBAL CONFERENCE 2011
Today and tomorrow, more than 120 people – including editors, fashion editors, and representatives of the international publishing community and the world of fashion – coming to Italy from 20 countries, will join together for the Grazia Global Conference 2011, an international workshop organised by Mondadori at the Group’s headquarters in Segrate.
The Grazia Global Conference 2011 is an occasion to discuss the key issues facing publishing – from editorial content to digital, branding operations and new advertising solutions – and to reflect on the strengths and opportunities for the further growth of an historic Italian brand.

A number of figures representing some of the world’s leading luxury brands will also participate in the conference, including Diego Della Valle, President and CEO Tod’s; Remo Ruffini, President and Creative Director Moncler; Michele Norsa, CEO and Group Managing Director Salvatore Ferragamo; Gabriella Scarpa, Country General Manager LVMH Parfums & Cosmetiques, President Acqua di Parma and General Manager Dior Couture Italy; Isabella Capece Galeota, International PR Director & Events Louis Vuitton; as well as Marissa Evans, CEO and co-founder of Go Try It On, and Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi.

The Special guest of the Grazia Global Conference 2011 is Giorgio Armani.

“THE GRAZIA IT AWARDS”
“The Grazia It Awards”, created by the Grazia Global Conference, is an award given by the editors and fashion editors of the international network for three “must have” items, selected from among the collections of the most prestigious fashion designers.
Giorgio Armani stood out in the IT DRESS category with his Femme Blue collection.
The IT SHOES award went to Bruno Frisoni with his Ballerina model for Roger Vivier. While Karl Lagerfeld won the IT BAG category with his Mademoiselle bag for Chanel.
The three awards, produced by Patricia Urquiola, were presented by Carla Vanni, director of the Grazia International Network.

From next September the new publisher of Interni Russia will be ArtCom Media, to which Mondadori has entrusted the publication of the local edition of INTERNI, the magazine of interiors and contemporary design.

ArtCom Media, one of Russia’s most interesting publishing houses in the living and furnishing area, has a portfolio of titles that includes the local editions of international titles such as OBJEKT, EXTERIEURS DESIGN, GOLF DIGEST and SNC. ArtCom Media is also active online with the website www.russiandesignhub.ru, the country’s leading portal for design and architecture.

The new INTERNI Russia will be presented to the market during the “Moscow Design Week” to be held in Moscow in October at the same time as the “Saloni WorldWide Moscow”, the most anticipated furniture and design event in Eastern Europe.
The magazine will be published monthly and distributed through newsstands and on subscription with a print run of 60,000 copies.

From June Casaviva, the Mondadori interiors monthly, will also be published in Ukraine, the result of a licensing agreement with Sanoma Media Ukraine.

This new international edition of the magazine is part of the process of the expansion of Mondadori brands in the world’s leading markets, particularly Eastern Europe and the Far East, that are highly receptive to the successful mix that has long characterised Casaviva. Since 1973 a leading interpreter of the style and quality of Italian furniture, the monthly aims to become a reference point also in the Ukraine for lovers of interior design in search of exclusive solutions and creative ideas for their living spaces.

Casaviva Ukraine will join the other editions of the magazine published every month around the world besides Italy: Thailand, India, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece. Casaviva is also present in China, thanks to the collaboration of the magazine Rayli Home.

Mondadori and ITP have signed an agreement for the publication of the Bahrain edition of Grazia, which is expected to hit the newsstands in September, bringing the total number of international editions of Grazia to 16.

Grazia Bahrain will be published monthly and in English. Circulation for the new foreign edition of the title, a symbol of Italian fashion and style, is expected to be over 10,000 copies and it will be distributed both through newsstands and at large-scale retail outlets with special display stands. The Bahrain edition will operate alongside Grazia United Arab Emirates, which was successfully launched (also under a licensing agreement with ITP) in November 2005.

“Mondadori is delighted to have reached this new agreement with ITP,” declared Zeno Pellizzari, the Mondadori Magazine Division’s head of International Activities and Syndication. “This is another step in the direction of ever-closer cooperation between our two companies. ITP already publishes, successfully and to very high standards of quality, the edition of Grazia for the market of the United Arab Emirates and we are confident they will do the same with Grazia Bahrain,” he concluded.

Uniquely in the market, Grazia Bahrain will be an innovative up-scale monthly aimed at meeting the needs of an evolved and style-conscious readership.

The sections of the magazine will range from fashion and beauty, and from international celebrities to unmissible news, and will target the constantly growing number of women interested in keeping up with new trends in fashion and beauty.

“The launch of an edition of Grazia specifically conceived for our country is the direct result of the rapid emergence of Bahrain as the fashion hub of the Middle East,” claimed Ali Awaki, managing director of ITP Consumer Publishing. “With the opening of the exclusive Fashion Mall, which has given Bahrain its first show rooms for up-scale brands and led to the opening of other icon stores, such as New York’s Saks Fifth Avenue, there was a need for an internationally renowned, high-quality fashion magazine to meet the growing expectations of the market,” concluded Mr Akawi.

ITP

ITP is the biggest publisher of business and consumer magazines in the Middle East. In addition to magazines, the internet and online titles, the company’s activities also include specialised magazines and event organisation.